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The Burrokeet (alternative spelling Burroquite) or donkey-man is a character of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival in the Caribbean Islands.

Description

In the Trinidad Carnival, the donkey has been symbolically freed from his labours and so is able to join in the festivities. This donkey or horse man was constructed from bamboo in such a way that it gave the illusion the dancer was riding a small "burro" or donkey, when he put his head through the hole in the donkey's neck and the body of the animal fitted around his hips. The "rider" wore a satin shirt and a large matador's hat or straw hat and danced making the donkey caper and bow to the accompaniment of guitars, cuatros and shac-shacs.

Origin

There is a similar Burrokeet tradition in East Indian Hindu culture. The donkey's head was made from coloured paper on a wooden frame, while the body was covered with a satin skirt with a hemp tail. It is unknown if the burrokeet derive from the Greek centaur or is a true local totem.